I've never had to do it but there is a lot on-line, including You Tube tutorials. Below is one link that seems straightforward. You'll have to download an up to date ops system though once all is erased and for that you may need some kind of identity registered with Apple. Not sure......

It’s relatively easy to do depending on the age and model of the machine. All MBPs from the last five years or so should have a partition on the HDD reserved for the OS that you can reinstall. As with a PC, you can reinstall this at any time without deleting all of the user data or you can format the main partition and start again.

The secrets of all this can be found within the Disk Utility app, found within the Utilities folder. This will tell you whether you have the security partition or not. If you don’t have it, you can download the full OS here https://support.apple.com/downloads/macos to put on a USB stick. When you start-up the Mac there will be a key combination to press to get it into the install state and that’s where the USB stick comes in. Make sure you get the correct OS for your hardware as not all older Macs can run the newer OSs.

When you reinstall the OS there will be nagware asking you for an Apple ID to setup iCloud etc. but you can skip or ignore these requests. Clearly as a confirmed Macophobe this will annoy you so be prepared!

one for debate:
is anyone contemplating buying the iPhone 10?
My iPhone 5 is reaching the end of its life after a particularly rainy run one morning... maybe looking for a replacement...
GN.

I have a 7+ and find it very suitable for my requirements. It is water resistant so would’t be bothered by any rainy morning runs. I don’t see any real benefit of moving to an 8, it’s really only a speed bump, and the X is just a case study in marketing fluff and Apple hype. I would recommend a 7 or 7+ as they have Touch ID, Apple Pay (NFC) and decent cameras, plus the price will come down once the X is their premier offering. Being Apple, though, the price won’t tumble...

Recently upgraded our IPad mini IOS 11.0.3 and it has created some headaches with regards to connectivity/charging issues. Currently using an after market HDMI Lightning cabler screen mirroring after failure of original Apple cable from OZ. Really didn't feel like forking out over 2000 baht plus for another cable from Apple here so opted for a 400 Baht cable from Lazada, which, until this latest upgrade, worked perfectly well.

Apple iOS 11.0.3 Release: Should You Upgrade?

Welcome to the latest chaotic instalment of Apple AAPL +0.86% iOS 11. Last night Apple released iOS 11.0.3, it’s fourth iOS 11 release and third dedicated bug fix in three weeks. But given the rushed iOS 11.0.1 and iOS 11.0.2 updates caused more problems than they have fixed, should you upgrade to iOS 11.0.3 or will it simply make things worse? Here’s everything you need to know…

Who Is iOS 11.0.3 For?

As with every iOS 11 release, iOS 11.0.3 is compatible with iPhone 5S or later, iPad mini 2 or later and the 6th generation iPod touch or later.

Compatible devices are notified automatically about the iOS 11.0.3 update, but should that not happen for whatever reason it can be triggered manually by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Tip: iOS 11.0.3 is not part of Apple’s beta program (where iOS 11.1 is currently in testing), so if you are you will need to unroll your device for iOS 11.0.3 to show up.

iOS updates vary in size depending on device, but just like the previous ‘minor point’ releases iOS 11.0.3 again comes in at around 300MB. Interestingly this brings the total size of Apple’s iOS 11 releases to approximately 3GB in three weeks, so those of you with metered broadband connections may need to watch your allowance.

The Deal Breakers

Right off the bat a familiar warning: iOS 11.0.3 will break jailbroken iPhones, iPads and iPod touch. Right now I pity jailbreakers trying to keep up with this flurry of releases!

As for the early feedback on stability, it’s not great. Just like every previous iOS 11 release, users have taken to reddit and social media to complain about crashes, poor battery life, sluggish performance and connectivity issues - notably Bluetooth.

Remember there are hundreds of millions of iPhones, iPads and iPod touch in the world so it is impossible to fully grasp the scale of the problems from this, but they are there for a lot of users. I’ll update this article as I learn more but for now - unless you suffer one of the specific problems listed in the next section - I would hold off upgrading to iOS 11.0.3.

Fixes an issue where audio and haptic feedback would not work on some iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus devices
Addresses an issue where touch input was unresponsive on some iPhone 6s displays because they were not services with genuine Apple parts
Apple also warns users: “Note: Non-genuine replacement displays may have compromised visual quality and may fail to work correctly. Apple-certified screen repairs are performed by trusted experts who use Apple parts. See support.apple.com for more information.”

As for security content, Apple’s security page states there are no updates in iOS 11.0.3. This is the third time in a row this has happened (iOS 11 was the last update to contain them) but you shouldn’t worry or be surprised. Apple usually updates security every month or two so, despite three subsequent releases, it has only been three weeks since iOS 11.

Now here’s the good news: initial feedback suggests (just like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus ‘crackling bug’ addressed in iOS 11.0.2) that these two fixes are working for most users. Though not everyone.

On the flip side, I haven’t actually seen many users complain about these problems in the first place. Certainly not in comparison to the flood of performance and battery life complaints that have been streaming in for weeks and have been tangibly measured at scale by data analytics company Wandera.

Apple iOS 11.0.3 Verdict: Avoid (With Two Exceptions)

The feeling of deja vu is building. iOS 11.0.3 follows in the path of iOS 11.0.1 and iOS 11.0.2 by delivering niche fixes to specific bugs but not addressing the wider performance and battery issues introduced by iOS 11.

As such if your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus has suffered from poor audio and haptic feedback or your iPhone 6S had an unresponsive display because it was fixed with non-genuine parts, then iOS 11.0.3 is for you and you should upgrade without hesitation.

Needless to say, the reality is this is a tiny subset of users so if you are still on iOS 10 or happily using iOS 11 without problems stay put. There’s nothing in iOS 11.0.3 for you, not even some security patches, and with the complaints from upgraders growing it represents a risk with no tangible reward.

The Road Ahead

Apple iOS 11.1 is the release affected users should be pinning their hopes on now. It is already in its second beta and while testers are reporting it too is filled with bugs, that is perfectly normal at such an early stage (five, six, even seven betas are normal before release).

iOS 11.1 will arrive in conjunction with the heavily redesigned iPhone X and should also return one of the major features pulled from the original iOS 11 launch. Let’s hope this first ‘major point’ release will mark a fresh start for iOS 11...

The company extended iOS code that prevent sudden battery shutdowns to newer devices this year.

You're not alone if you've noticed a slowdown in the performance of your older iPhone. The thing is, it may be more related to your battery than the phone itself. After a post on Reddit and a followup by benchmarking software Geekbench's founder, Apple told TechCrunch that it released a fix for premature shutdowns last year for iPhone 6, 6s and SE by smoothing out CPU demand when a battery is older, cold, or just low on juice. Apple also said that it recently extended this slowdown feature to iPhone 7 devices running iOS 11.2, and plans to "add support for other products in the future."

A couple of weeks ago, Reddit user TeckFire ran some CPU benchmarks (via Geekbench) on his iPhone 6 Plus before and after he replaced its battery. He found that CPU performance was significantly better after a battery replacement, which he attributed to Apple slowing down phones with low capacity batteries. A week later, Geekbench's own John Poole wrote a post that pointed to Apple's involvement. In essence, Poole says that Apple introduced code to iOS that limits iPhone performance when battery charge is low, which could be interpreted as a CPU issue leading to users replacing their iPhone instead of their battery. While this may not be Apple's intent in this case, it's not hard to see users being confused and blaming the company for planned obsolescence practices, especially as Apple benefits from user confusion and iPhone upgrades.

CHICAGO: iPhone owners from several states sued Apple Inc for not disclosing sooner that it issued software updates deliberately slowing older-model phones so aging batteries lasted longer, saying Apple's silence led them to wrongly conclude that their only option was to buy newer, pricier iPhones.

The allegations were in a lawsuit filed Thursday in Chicago federal court on behalf of five iPhone owners from Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina, all of whom say they never would have bought new iPhones had Apple told them that simply replacing the batteries would have sped up their old ones. The suit alleges Apple violated consumer fraud laws.

A similar lawsuit was filed Thursday in Los Angeles. Both suits came a day after Apple confirmed what high-tech sleuths outside the company already observed: The company had deployed software to slow some phones. Apple said it was intended as a fix to deal with degraded lithium-ion batteries that could otherwise suddenly die.

"Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices,'' an Apple statement said. It said it released the fix for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE and later extended it to iPhone 7. Apple didn't respond to a message Friday seeking comment.

The Chicago lawsuit suggests Apple's motive may have been sinister, though it offers no evidence in the filing.
"Apple's decision to purposefully ... throttle down these devices,'' it says, "was undertaken to fraudulently induce consumers to purchase the latest'' iPhone.

Plaintiff Kirk Pedelty, of North Carolina, contacted Apple as his frustration grew. However, the lawsuit says: "Nobody from Apple customer support suggested that he replace his battery to improve the performance of his iPhone. ...
Frustrated by slowdowns and intermittent shutdowns of his iPhone 7, Mr Pedelty purchased an iPhone 8.''

Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi said she believes the tech giant was seeking to help consumers extend the lives of the older phones -- though it would have been better to disclose what it was doing and why right away.

"Even if you are trying to do something good for your customers, it is going to be perceived as you are sneaking around behind their backs if you don't tell them about it first,'' she said.

May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!

Apple Inc will replace batteries in some older iPhones facing slower performance for 1,000 baht, down from the regular price of 2,900 baht, according to Blognone, a community for IT professionals in Thailand.

The discounted battery replacement price excludes the service fee, which is normally 900 baht, Blognone reported. It is unclear whether the fee will be higher or lower under the replacement programme.

The offer will be available from late January to December 2018 for iPhone 6 or newer models (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus).

Apple is facing lawsuits from users in the US for deliberately downgrading the performance of previous iPhone models without informing users first. Users in other countries are also reportedly planning class-action lawsuits.

In its recent operating system upgrades, Apple slowed the performances of pre-iPhone X models so that the battery lasts longer.

On Thursday, Apple apologised for slowing down older iPhones, purportedly to prevent breakdowns caused by battery fatigue. It denied allegations by customers that phones were being slowed down to push users to purchase newer iPhone models.

In the United States, the company has cut the price of battery replacements for the affected models from $79 to $29.

Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source